Lana Waters Liu

“You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men” (Matthew 5:13). 

Although those on the mountainside with Jesus that day knew plenty about salt, they probably scratched their heads regarding what point He was making. As do we still.

Head-scratching question #1: What does salt do for life on earth?

They would have known, as do we, that salt preserves rather than destroys and that it is vital for life. How is that also true of Jesus followers?

Question #2: What property does salt have?

Salt is salty—not sour, not sweet, not bitter, not umami. What property do Jesus followers have that is uniquely theirs?

In other words, what is it that causes Jesus followers to live right-side-up in this upside down world? What about them is preserving, vital for life and unique?

I am a novice devotional writer. New endeavors require trust. I trusted myself and dove in.

Here's what I learned—(and not for the first time!): Trusting in ourselves produces anxiety that destroys our peace. However, trusting in God has an entirely different effect.

I am / we are salt. We have the unique-to-Jesus-followers' property of Trusting in God.

Trusting in God introduces a fresh flavor to life, one that brings out the good flavors of other things. It provides an essential ingredient for our well-being and that of others. It preserves our peace and contributes to the peace of those around us.

Our trust in God can weaken, though, as mine did when I put my trust in myself.  My trust in God had lost its saltiness and trampling had begun. The trampling message was “You can't trust in God. You have to trust in yourself.”

Oh, but yes, we can trust in God! It's a property unique to us, vital to our and others' well-being, and full of flavor.

If you sense the saltiness of trusting in God has diminished in your life, ask Him to show you what is interfering with it and what trampling lies you are listening to.

There may be another salty property of Jesus followers that God wants you to focus on. What could that be?